Swimming lessons should be essential!

[PipersSeaSalt]

Inspired by the other thread.

As a nanny of over 25 years, I've always said that if you can only afford one class for your baby/toddler then make it swimming (unless, of course you are able to teach them yourself).

I've heard so many times that "We didn't put child in lessons because he was fearful of the water" and that attitude absolutely blows my mind! That is the EXACT reason why you should get your child enrolled in swimming lessons!

Why wouldn't you want your child to be safe in and around water?!

I know that not everyone can afford lessons. I know that. Many people can and just don't because they don't want to upset their child.

Swimming lessons are very important but children and adults can drown no matter how good of a swimmer they are, over all water safety and its dangers need to be taught not just 'swimming lessons tick let's move on'

Water can kill, and using float devices is really dangerous

Absolutely disagree. I have 4, all teenagers ages 13,15,18 and 18 and they all swim really well. Never had a swimming lesson in their lives. The same as myself and their dad (and probably most people from our generation) that never had a swimming lesson aside from school.

I think we just took them swimming ourselves occasionally as children, had a pool in the garden in the summer with floats that they practised with. And they went with the school for a few weeks in year 5.

But never a swimming lesson, and all confident swimmers.

I think it's a nice idea but also (as with everything else) there is just such a lack of money/facilities for it to be done right. Some families can't afford the local pool regularly enough to teach their child themselves. School groups can be totally inadequate; I remember traipsing to a pool as a child with my class but we weren't really taught, more handed a float and told to get on with it - I only remember there being 1 swimming instructor with a group of 30 kids! Im not sure how long we went for, maybe 6 or 8 weeks at a half hour each time? Now paying through the nose for lessons as an adult with a fear of water....

Agree that learning to ride a bike is really important. Its essential for school children in my town in fact, as otherwise they'd have no hope of getting to certain lessons on time (held in different schools, a few kilometres apart, so they have to bike between them to get there within the 15 minutes allowed, and sometimes 7km to the sports track in the next town, and the biking is considered part of the PE lesson)

My primary school had an outdoor pool too, and we had lessons all summer term every year.

We thought it was so awful going outside to swim whatever the weather during that term each week, but looking back it was brilliant. Everyone learned to swim as a result!

Edit - state primary - and we shared the pool with another state primary which was for some reason next door

The child was 4. They need total supervision around water at that age. It took one of the other children in the pool to spot that he had drowned.

I love the idea of biking to lessons. Certainly a great way to ensure fitness in children in a different way to some of the more boring PE lessons I’ve heard about.

They do have some interesting PE lessons, and give them a lot of choice some weeks (and some weeks they have 4 hours of PE a week, which is great). Last week they could choose to skate/bike/scoot at the skate park or go for a walk around town, taking selfies at specific locations to prove they went there. They have to bike to the primary school for woodwork lessons as their school doesn't have a woodwork classroom.
You do get some children using electric scooters though instead, defying the point.

Yes this.

Over confidence in anything is dangerous.

I can't swim therefore I avoid situations where others taken risks. Even risks they shouldn't take as good swimmers.

They were away as a big family group. I think they probably all thought he was with someone else. Have to admit that’s happened to me before, not around water thankfully but our then 12 month old went upstairs and was toddling around alone without us realising. I thought he was with DH; DH thought he was with me. So I can see how it happens.

We're not a swimming family. It's just not something that we ever do. I can swim, but dislike the water, hate indoor pools, certainly would never, ever go for "fun". I go in the sea once a year on holiday, and that's it. So no, t's not at all essential afaic. DS1 learnt at school, and then had some extra lessons as he enjoyed it, DS2 flat out refuses to even get in a pool. He will go in the sea with me and DH on holiday, though, so we teach water safety, and he'll get there eventually. But water/swimming just isn't a feature of our lives.
Bike riding, on the other hand, is imo definitely a life skill. Apart from the fact that most kids here will bike to school once they reach the end of primary and do their cycling test, it is really important for road safety. Plus it's fun and you can do it anywhere, any time, and it doesn't cost anything (apart from the initial cost of a bike obviously).

I'm pretty sure I'm not but it's good to know there's a few of us out there. 😀

I can't swim; I'm terrified of water caused by my swimming lessons and my class teacher interfering with the lesson.

We were being taught how to breathe, and to blow bubbles. So I took a second to watch the others to be sure I was doing it right and my class teacher suddenly leaned over and held me under water for what seemed like eternity. I remember struggling and seeing the top of the water above my head. When she let go I popped up and took the biggest breath I could then refused to ever get back in the water. I was 7.

I still panic if I get water over my face in the shower let alone going into water deeper than knee deep.

I put my DD into swimming lessons at 2 so she could learn before she learned to be scared and now she swims like a fish, no fear there and she now is a trained lifeguard and private swimming tutor.

That's really sad to hear. The council in our nearest city has just renovated most of its pools, including a wonderful 50-metre heated outdoor lido. DC and I have spent practically half our summer in that pool and it costs under £10 for us both.

There should, IMO, be more investment in this.